Hundreds of mammal species still waiting to be discovered, says study

In the world, numerous unidentified mammals are still waiting to be discovered, said a new study.

The research has also predicted where to find the so-called “cryptic” species as they seem to be hiding in plain sight.

The study was published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ on Monday.

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After analysing millions of mammal gene sequences and other data on environment and habitat, researchers have said that hundreds of rodents, bats, shrews and moles are waiting to be found. They may have been incorrectly classified as another species, due to their size or physical appearance.

According to the researchers, the new predictive model can help in finding undiscovered species in other animal groups, like insects as it is a class, where millions of species are waiting to be identified. The model has also estimated that about 80% mammal species had been discovered.

Bryan Carstens, professor, evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State University, who co-authored the study, said, “Based on our analysis, a conservative estimate would be that there are hundreds of species of mammals worldwide that have yet to be identified.”

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“What we did that was new was predict where these new species are most likely to be found,” Carstens added.

The research was led by Ohio State graduate student Danielle Parsons. It also predicted mammal species are likely to be those with wider geographic ranges with high precipitation and temperature variability.

(With inputs from agencies)